Kallas Warns Europe Not to Fall into Russia's Trap in Ukraine Talks
The EU's top diplomat Kaja Kallas says discussing European security architecture would distract from the lack of a ceasefire. Europe has still not agreed who will represent it in talks with Russia.
At an informal summit of European Union (EU) leaders in Dublin, Kaja Kallas, the former Prime Minister of Estonia who has put herself forward as the EU's representative, warned that Europe should not fall into a trap set by Russia. In her words, a ceasefire is needed first, not a debate over Moscow's demands.
Europe's role in the talks
On Thursday, US envoys said after talks with Russian President Vladimir Putin that Europe would join future negotiations on Ukraine. The Kremlin, however, said no decision had been made. US envoy Jared Kushner, the son-in-law of Donald Trump, said Europe's involvement would make it possible to address broader post-war European security arrangements.
Moscow insists that any talks must include a review of Europe's security architecture and, by all appearances, is again demanding that NATO's influence be reduced. This has caused concern in Europe, where US allies have long rejected the Kremlin's wish to reshape the continent's security system.
Who will represent Europe
"First we need a ceasefire. If we start talking about what Russia demands regarding the security architecture, we are effectively falling into the trap Russia has set for us," Kallas told reporters. She stressed that Russia has no say over who represents Europe, as Moscow does not want a strong counterpart across the table.
European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen said it was self-evident that Europe should be included in peace talks, both to protect its own interests and to support Ukraine.
After months of struggle for a place at the table, Europe has still not reached consensus on a representative. This week, officials from the United Kingdom, France and Germany, as well as the EU, attended talks in Abu Dhabi. German Chancellor Friedrich Merz and several other politicians back keeping such a combination rather than appointing a single person, while others insist on following the EU treaties and having the bloc represented by its top officials.
Irish Prime Minister Micheál Martin said the issue must be resolved and that, in his view, a final decision should be made within a week or two.
